Residents of the Montgomery County borough of Hatboro and township of Lower Salford are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television services, thanks to recently approved agreements authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV in those communities.

Verizon is the first company to offer such a communications network, connecting homes and businesses directly to fiber optics on a widespread scale.

The communities are members of the Montgomery County consortium, which represents some 30 communities that are taking steps to advance cable alternatives for nearly 225,000 households. The consortium’s steering committee announced on June 28 that it had reached a master agreement with Verizon on the terms of a cable franchise and recommended that each of its member communities grantVerizon a franchise.

With the latest approvals, a total of 32 municipalities in the counties of Montgomery, Chester, Bucks and Delaware have said yes to cable competition and awarded cable franchises to Verizon. Verizon will announce availability plans for FiOS TV in these communities later this year.

"The momentum to bring consumers long-overdue, much-needed choice and competition for cable TV is building in Pennsylvania," said William B. Petersen, president of Verizon Pennsylvania. "Verizon's FiOS TV offers an innovative, reliable and competitive alternative to the incumbent cable provider – powered by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network.

"We hope to bring innovation, reliability and value to more Pennsylvanians by reaching similar agreements with other communities."

Under the agreements, Verizon will be able to offer FiOS TV service to residents of Hatboro and Lower Salford. In addition, the agreements require Verizon to pay the communities franchise fees based on the company’s gross revenues on cable services in each community.

Verizon currently offers FiOS TV in parts of California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Virginia. The company will make FiOS TV available in Pennsylvania markets where it has negotiated franchise agreements with local authorities.

FiOS TV offers a broad collection of all-digital programming, two dozen high-definition channels, video on demand and more. It is delivered over Verizon’s fiber-to-the-premises network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen.

In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also allows the company to offer consumers and businesses high-speed FiOS Internet Service at download speeds of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds up to 5 Mbps.* FiOS Internet Service currently is available to many consumers and small businesses in Montgomery County, as well as parts of Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties.

* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 55 million customers nationwide. Verizon Business operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks. Verizon Telecom is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 252,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.